U.S. Congress Has Passed A Resolution Condemning Anti-LGBTQ Violence In Chechnya

On Tuesday, Congress passed a resolution to condemn anti-LGBTQ violence in Chechnya, according to NBC News.

The bipartisan resolution, known as House resolution 351, was first introduced in May by representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Ed Royce (R-CA), and Chris Smith (R-NJ). The resolution condemns the reported torture and detainment of gay and bisexual men in the region, and has been supported and sponsored by both Democratic and Republican representatives.

House resolution 351 calls upon Russia to investigate the claims of torture, and to put an end to the violence, and urges the U.S. government to "demand the release of individuals wrongfully detained."

"We will continue to stand united with the LGBT community and shine a bright light on these atrocities, which are encouraged by the evil Putin regime in Russia, in order to help ensure that those who are responsible for these crimes are held to account for their despicable actions," Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement to NBC.

While the State Department and Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, have spoken out against the atrocities, the White House has yet to make a public statement.

In April, reports surfaced that gay and bisexual men in Chechnya were being detained and tortured in "concentration camp-like" conditions. More recently, survivors who have escaped the reported purge have opened up about their experiences, and the human rights violations they underwent.

According to a report from BuzzFeed, a few who escaped detainment have managed to obtain visas and find new homes in other countries, though it's unclear just how many have remained captured.